Students donated their hair at halftime during the Shoot for the Cure women's basketball game
On Jan. 17, McMaster Athletes Care hosted their Shoot for the Cure initiative aimed towards awareness and fundraising for breast cancer research.
The event comes as the 17th annual edition run by the national U Sports organization to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society and additional related charities. Last year, collective efforts by U Sports and Canadian university sports teams and communities helped to bring in a total of $115,000.
The event comes as the 17th annual edition run by the national U Sports organization to raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society and additional related charities.
This season, the McMaster University women’s basketball team set up a fundraising page on the CCS website to donate pledges towards research for improving cancer treatments, prevention and support services.
On Jan. 17, the Marauders hosted the University of Guelph Gryphons in a match at Burrduge Gymnasium in Hamilton. During halftime of the women’s basketball game, volunteers received haircuts to help support the initiative.
During halftime of the women’s basketball game, volunteers received haircuts to help support the initiative.
Along with the haircuts, t-shirts were also sold for $15 by McMaster Athletes Care, with proceeds going towards the CCS.
The Shoot for the Cure event will run from Jan. 17 to 31. Donations can be made generally to the CCS or towards registered Shoot for the Cure participants and teams through their website. So far, the Nipissing University Lakers have raised the most money across participating universities, collecting $3,541.06 out of their $5,000 goal.
Per the CCS’ Impact page, donations will go towards funding cancer research, government and policy advocacy and developing a country-wide cancer support system.
Students Advancing Brain Cancer Research raised over $2,700 through their art auction earlier this month
Students Advancing Brain Cancer Research held an art auction at the Phoenix Bar & Grill on Mar. 23. SABCR is a student-led non-profit organization focusing on advocacy, awareness and fundraising for brain cancer research.
Beyond the auction, the event also featured special guest speakers Sheila Singh, a pediatric neurosurgeon and researcher at McMaster University, and Chloe Asselstine, the Brain Cancer Canada ambassador at McMaster. Singh spoke about her research and Asselstine spoke about her experiences when her mom was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. Both spoke about how important it was to donate to brain cancer research.
The idea for the event was first brought forth by Sydney Wisener, one of the co-vice presidents of fundraising at SABCR. She wanted to provide a platform as a form of expression for people who are in the brain cancer community — especially for brain cancer survivors or people who had their loved ones affected by it.
SABCR received more than 20 art submissions from McMaster students and local artists, including works by a brain cancer survivor who was diagnosed with glioblastoma and someone who lost their sister to brain cancer. Over $2,700 was raised from the auction; they donated half of the funds to Singh’s pediatric brain tumor lab and the other half to Brain Cancer Canada. They also donated an additional $5,000 to Brain Cancer Canada using funds from their previous fundraisers.
Other than raising a significant amount for brain cancer research, the SABCR executive team were touched by the people who came out to their event and donated artwork.
"The success of our art auction goes beyond the amount we raised. We are touched by the speeches from our partners, the donated artwork and the interactive prompts to engage our guests . . . It was immensely inspiring to observe the motivation and drive SABCR has for this cause and transpire into a new audience,” explained Kayla Benson, the co-president of SABCR.
"The success of our art auction goes beyond the amount we raised. We are touched by the speeches from our partners, the donated artwork and the interactive prompts to engage our guests . . . It was immensely inspiring to observe the motivation and drive SABCR has for this cause and transpire into a new audience."
Kayla Benson, the co-president of SABCR
Although, this was their first art auction, after seeing how successful it was, they are hoping to continue it as an annual fundraiser.
At the event they had two prompts displayed on Bristol boards for attendees to interact with: What's your favorite thing about the brain? and What brought you out here tonight? They hoped these reflection questions would provoke attendees to feel more connected to the importance of brain cancer research and continue to sustain that connection as they continue to attend more brain cancer events.
“I was amazed by the diversity in the community that was able to donate the art — just in terms of how they found us, what motivated them to get involved and to donate their submissions,” said Wisener.
Events such as these bring together the artistic talents in the McMaster community and allow them to shine for a good cause.
“I think there is a lot of creativity that can be explored within the McMaster community and there's definitely potential for that, even in science-based programs,” said Simrit Rana, the other co-vice president fundraising of SABCR.
SABCR hopes for greater turnout in their future art auctions and to be able to showcase more artists. They are excited to continue working at the intersection of brain cancer research and art with the McMaster community while fundraising for brain cancer research.
McMaster sports teams and the Mac Athletes Care organization come together to raise money and awareness for breast cancer
Raising money for breast cancer is an annual tradition for McMaster University sports teams. After fundraising online for the past two years, McMaster’s Think Pink Week returned in-person this year from Jan. 16 to Jan. 21., making it even more remarkable with the diversity of teams involved.
At McMaster, sports teams can be organized at the U-Sports, Ontario University Athletics or club level. Competing within different governing bodies can mean different amounts of social media exposure and inclusion.
This Think Pink Week kicked off with several vibrant Instagram posts from McMaster sports teams at every level — from women’s basketball, track and field, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s rugby, to sailing, rowing, cheerleading, field hockey, figure skating and nordic ski.
The photoshoots were spearheaded by student leaders from the Mac Athletes Care organization. Think Pink Coordinator and women’s volleyball player, Christina Stratford, highlighted the importance of including so many Marauder teams.
“A lot of people have brought up how OUA and club teams don’t necessarily get as much representation [as U Sports teams], so [when organizing] the photoshoot, we sent it out to all the Instagrams and as many teams as possible,” explained Stratford.
The united social media presence from these teams resulted in over 1,000 Instagram likes. More importantly, this gesture opened the door for these players to get involved in fundraising booths throughout the week. The president of Mac Athletes Care and a women’s basketball player, Mia Spadafora, spoke with the Silhouette about creating opportunities for every athlete to get involved.
“People forget that men can also have breast cancer and get breast cancer. . . It’s important to have the men’s teams involved to show support but also to give them an opportunity to share their story if someone in their life or a loved one is suffering from this as well,” said Spadafora.
“People forget that men can also have breast cancer and get breast cancer. . . It’s important to have the men’s teams involved to show support but also to give them an opportunity to share their story if someone in their life or a loved one is suffering from this as well.”
Mia Spadafora, Women's Basketball Team
Think Pink Week also featured two volleyball games on Jan. 18 and concluded with two basketball games on Jan. 21. A fundraising booth was available at every event, selling baked goods, t-shirts, pink ribbons and raffle tickets in support of the Canadian Cancer Society.
During the final men’s basketball game, five student athletes cut and donated their hair during half time. The half-time show also featured an exciting performance from the Mac Dance Competitive Team.
“We figured it would be cool to have something going along with the haircutting, so having the dance team come out was a really unique experience and something that we’ll definitely continue – whether it’s dance, or cheerleading or some other club – to include in those events because again, I think it brought out more engagement,” explained Stratford.
“We figured it would be cool to have something going along with the haircutting, so having the dance team come out was a really unique experience and something that we’ll definitely continue – whether it’s dance, or cheerleading or some other club – to include in those events because again, I think it brought out more engagement.”
Christina Stratford, Women's Volleyball Team
Although Think Pink Week has come to an end, the student athlete community continues to seek out leadership opportunities relating to health and advocacy.
The McMaster men’s baseball and rugby team lead the way in fundraising for men’s health issues
Raising money for men’s health is an annual November initiative for athletes at McMaster University. As the end of this year's Movember campaign nears, Marauder sports teams have quietly raised over $25,000.
The McMaster men’s baseball team and men’s rugby team spearheaded this year’s fundraising efforts, with over $11,900 and $9600 in donations respectively. In addition, the McMaster men’s volleyball team and wrestling teams fundraised over $3600 and $1100 each. Other participating teams include the McMaster rowing team, swimming team and men’s soccer team.
The McMaster teams primarily fundraise through the Movember campaign website. Established in 2003, the international campaign looks to allocate resources to various areas of men’s health such as mental health, testicular cancer and prostate cancer. Over $19 million was donated to men’s health projects in Canada just last year.
Though growing a mustache and fundraising for Movember is a tradition amongst McMaster sports teams, the movement has not lost its meaning to repeat participants such as Marco Dilaudo, Maclean Van Raay, Josh Kalmain and Aiden Muldoon.
“We just want to give back to the community and continue to support those that have been supportive to us as athletes, especially here at McMaster and abroad, while also paying respect to those that are fighting everyday to continue – whether that’s against cancer or mental health,” explained Marco Dilaudo, the first baseman for the McMaster men’s baseball team.
We just want to give back to the community and continue to support those that have been supportive to us as athletes, especially here at McMaster and abroad, while also paying respect to those that are fighting everyday to continue – whether that’s against cancer or mental health.
Marco Dilaudo, the first baseman for the McMaster men’s baseball team
In addition to leading the baseball team’s fundraising efforts with over $2,000 raised individually, Dilaudo plans to bike 300 kilometres over the month of November – an opportunity for Dilaudo to embrace a challenge and support others that are battling illnesses in their day-to-day lives.
“Everyone struggles with mental health in some way. Being an athlete, it becomes really stressful trying to balance school and athletics. The mental health part of it definitely plays a factor [wanting to raise money] as well,” said Maclean Van Raay, third year student and middle infielder for the McMaster men’s baseball team.
For some McMaster athletes, raising money and awareness is especially important because of personal experiences with loved ones. Participating for his fifth in a row, Aiden Muldoon became particularly connected to the cause after experiencing the loss of his father to cancer in 2021.
“It’s nice to know that there’s a movement for something that’s affected me so dearly [and] that it’s a movement that we can progress towards as a team. I know guys are thinking about other [teammates] that have also lost people to different illnesses. When we’re raising money, it’s good to know that it’s with a direction,” explained Muldoon, a fullback for the McMaster men’s rugby team.
It’s nice to know that there’s a movement for something that’s affected me so dearly [and] that it’s a movement that we can progress towards as a team. I know guys are thinking about other [teammates] that have also lost people to different illnesses. When we’re raising money, it’s good to know that it’s with a direction.
Aiden Muldoon, a fullback for the McMaster men’s rugby team
As club captain for the McMaster men’s rugby, Muldoon organizes various fundraising events with other members of the team. The rugby team held a Touch 7s Rugby Tournament that took place earlier this month where all profits from the event were donated to Movember. In the past, the team has also welcomed guest speakers or held raffles to raise money.
“For us, as much as it is a serious issue, we do like to make fun of each other’s mustaches a little bit . . . It’s another way to encourage one another to not only support the cause but also support each other in raising money for a good cause,” said Kalmin, a third year student and pitcher for the baseball team.
Along with raising awareness and fundraising, Movember is a chance for McMaster teams to bond and boost team morale. The competitive aspect that McMaster athletes bring into sport also translates into friendly competition to raise the most money.
To learn more about the Movember movement, visit their website. To donate or keep up with the fundraising teams, visit their Instagram pages or link here.
C/O Pixabay
Marauders work together to raise awareness and funding for Think Pink Breast Cancer Fundraiser
Every year, around the end of January, the Marauders have gathered to spread awareness for Think Pink Breast Cancer initiatives. Not only do they spread awareness through social media accounts, but they also prompt the wider public to donate to the initiative.
In a small description on the donations website, the Marauders explained their cause and described it as a yearly ritual.
“Every year, Marauder student-athletes come together for Think Pink, raising funds for breast cancer research, education and advocacy,” stated the iFundMac donations page.
From Jan. 24 to Jan. 28, the Athletics and Recreation will change their colors from maroon to pink to raise awareness for the cause. “Throughout the week, Marauder’s will Think Pink and bring together students, staff, and community members in support of an important cause and inspire hope for the future,” stated the iFundMac website.
The McMaster Alumni Community has pledged that all funds raised through the campaign will be donated to Juravinski Cancer Center.
Throughout the past week, Marauders did not only take to social media to spread awareness and gather the donations for Think Pink, but they have also conducted some in-person activities on campus that were broadcasted live. On Jan. 26 four student athletes — Victoria DiDomenico, Arianne Soriano, Deanna Mataseje and Jasmine Lewis — volunteered at the Think Pink event and have donated their hair for the cause.
To broaden this initiative, the Marauders also had the Director of Athletics and Recreation, Shawn Burt, speak about his experiences with cancer and why Think Pink is so important.
“I, like so many in this community, unfortunately have a close connection to this cause. Nothing happens without great people stepping up and getting behind the cause,” said Burt
“I, like so many in this community, unfortunately have a close connection to this cause. Nothing happens without great people stepping up and getting behind the cause."
Shawn Burt, Director of Athletics and Recreation
As of Jan. 28, the Athletes Care donation website for Think Pink has raised $810. Their goal is to reach $2000.
While we don’t have a cure for cancer, it is important to raise awareness for the Think Pink cause, as millions go through the struggles of Breast Cancer on a yearly basis. The McMaster Marauders initiative may only be on a yearly basis, but the support from the community is a great way way to help.
McMaster Athletes Care Think Pink is a yearly fundraiser. More information and how to donate can be found at the official iFundMac donation platform.
Relay For Life at Mac to hold virtual events due to provincial COVID guidelines
C/O McMaster Relay for Life
On March 27, 2021, McMaster’s annual Relay for Life event will run to help fundraise for the battle against cancer. The event will look very different from past years, but going virtual hasn’t discouraged the volunteers in their efforts to host yet another successful event.
On March 27, 2021, McMaster’s annual Relay for Life event will run to help fundraise for the battle against cancer. The event will look very different from past years, but going virtual hasn’t discouraged the volunteers in their efforts to host yet another successful event.
During the 2019-2020 school year, Relay for Life managed to raise well over $100,000 in donations. In 2021, the bar has been set to match the previous goal of $100,000. As of publication, the goal has already been 13 per cent fulfilled despite the events having not yet started.
In a typical school year, students can expect to find a one-day event at the David Braley Athletic Centre gyms where Relay for Life hosts athletics competitions, a luminaire event and other awareness/fundraising activities. This year, Relay will have a week full of activities leading up to their event day, which will still include several festivities such as escape rooms, guest speakers and more.
“We have some mystery speakers that still have yet to be announced, but one of the ones that we have revealed is Bruce Buffer from the UFC,” said Diana Aviles, one of the event coordinators.
“We have some mystery speakers that still have yet to be announced, but one of the ones that we have revealed is Bruce Buffer from the UFC.”
Diana Aviles
Another annual event that many look forward to is the luminary ceremony. Aviles spoke highly about this event, referring to it as one of her favourite moments.
“The [luminary] event is a moment of unity, reflection and silence that goes on during the event . . . Every participant that comes to the event gets a baggie and it’s where you write why you relay. It’s an opportunity to honour loved ones, or really just share why you are taking part in the event and why it means something to you. Then you put a little candle in it and it lights it up. Usually, they’re put around the gym and you walk around while everyone commemorates everyone else's loved ones. That is still happening this year,” said Aviles.
In 2021, the luminary ceremony will shape up differently than in past years, but it is still set to continue. This year instead of providing candles and bags, Relay for Life is recommending a piece of paper and a flashlight, which can offer a similar effect.
“You can put your flashlight up to it and still hold that meaningful moment of silence and the heartfelt part of the event. That’s tradition for the [Relay for Life], so it’s important that it comes back year after year,” said Aviles.
Cancer affects the lives of many, both directly and indirectly. Holding a moment of silence to commemorate those who have passed on has become a major event at the core of Relay for Life.
Cancer affects the lives of many, both directly and indirectly. Holding a moment of silence to commemorate those who have passed on has become a major event at the core of Relay for Life.
Each year, many volunteers and participants come out to join the event in their attempt to help battle cancer. However, due to the pandemic, many have fallen on financial hardships and donating can become a difficult task for many. Fortunately, Mahnoor Akram, another event coordinator, spoke about the ways people can contribute without the need for monetary donations.
“We have volunteering opportunities that you can participate in . . . Volunteers basically help us and ensure that events are going to run properly on the day of. They work with our volunteer coordinator and test out the virtual events that our event coordinators have set up. That’s one opportunity to get involved. Another thing they can do is just advocacy — so reporting our stuff on their stories, or coming to our events or helping gain more awareness on cancer initiatives,” said Akram.
One awareness event currently in motion mentioned by Akram was Colour of the Month. Different types of cancer are associated with different colours and each month contributors wear the colour of a given type of cancer and post pictures of themselves to aid in raising awareness. In March, burgundy should be worn, representing multiple myeloma.
“Advocacy is really difficult right now, especially online and it can be hard to get the word out sometimes . . . Hopefully one day we won’t have to relay for a cure because we are celebrating that we found a cure. I’m really hoping for that day to happen really soon so we can hopefully beat cancer together,” said Akram.
“Advocacy is really difficult right now, especially online and it can be hard to get the word out sometimes . . . Hopefully one day we won’t have to relay for a cure because we are celebrating that we found a cure. I’m really hoping for that day to happen really soon so we can hopefully beat cancer together.”
Mahnoor Akram
A cure for cancer might still be a long way away, but it will never end if the relay never starts.
For more details, visit the McMaster Relay For Life website.
By: Griffin Marsh
Sometimes the events of life are larger and more important than any sports result and our sporting communities take these as opportunities to show support and care for one another.
For the McMaster women’s basketball team, the CIBC Run for the Cure, held on Oct. 1 this year, has come to represent something more than their basketball and university lives. It now represents family, community and strength.
This story begins in 2015, when head coach Theresa Burns was diagnosed with breast cancer and was forced to spend part of the season away from the court, fighting an entirely different competition.
Today, the cancer treatments are all finished. Coach Burns and the team are coming off a 2016-2017 historic season, finishing the regular season ranked first in the country and narrowly missing a trip to the U Sports National Championship in Victoria, B.C.
But this past weekend, that was all put aside as the team and the wider Hamilton basketball community came together as a sign of strength and resilience for those who have been touched by breast cancer or cancer more broadly. This year, the team raised $2,500 for the Canadian Cancer Society, with donations coming from players, family and alumni far and wide.
For coach Burns, this event means a lot more than basketball to her. It is about giving thanks and remembering her own journey and the journey of those who may not be able to share the walk with them anymore.
“The sad reality is that you could not go down our roster and not find a person whose family has not been touched by cancer in one way or the other,” said coach Burns. “I think we are all going to have lots of different people in our minds that day when we walk, and it is a chance to celebrate those special people in your life, pay some special attention to them and think about them.”
On the support that she receives personally from the Hamilton and Canadian basketball community, coach Burns was humbled and overjoyed.
“It is an amazing feeling, it is actually kind of overwhelming to be honest. Last year and the year before there were so many people to do the walk, we had this huge group picture with everyone who wanted to walk with our group. It is really truly very humbling,” Burns reflected.
Coach Burns was quick to add that the participation in this event is all athlete-driven. The players organize and share their excitement for the event, and coach Burns just follows along for the ride.
For Erin Burns, a fourth-year guard on the team, the event gives the team a chance to give back to their coach.
“I think that this run brings our team together on a deeper level in our shared respect and love for our coach,” said Burns. “For the past four years coach Burns has mentored all of her players both on and off the court. Coach Burns takes time to support each and everyone of her players whether that be regarding one’s education, basketball or life, so by our team participating in the Run for the Cure, it is just a small way our team can reciprocate that support for her.”
The time and impact that coach Burns puts into her players and her teams does not go unnoticed, as she as been awarded various coaching awards and guided her teams to Ontario University Athletics and National Championships on numerous occasions.
The appreciation for coach Burns does not end on the trophy shelf though as her current players echo an appreciation for coach Burns that she has heard throughout her career.
“[Coach Burns] exhibits strength and compassion, confidence and humility, kindness and tenacity. She is an extraordinary woman that inspires those around her to want to be the best version of themselves,” said Hilary Hanaka, a fourth-year guard and co-captain of the team.
“I believe Coach Burns is successful because of her outstanding character revealed through her honesty, leadership, her patience, her trust in each of us and her courage,” added Hanaka.
While coach Burns acknowledges that her battles off the court influence her message on the court, she works extremely hard to shape what that message is.
“It is just the idea that it is a challenge and people have to attack and face challenges and find ways to get through them,” reflected coach Burns. “It gives life a different perspective and I have always been someone who tries to appreciate the big picture and have some perspective in life about where sports lies. I think this just sharpens that point a little more and makes your perspective that much clearer.”
Moving forward, the season looks different but still very promising for the team. While some key members graduated following last season, coach Burns sees many players primed to step into a new role and lead this team forward.
While the disappointment of last year may still burn in this team’s belly, the walk forward continues. The unity that was exhibited at the Run for the Cure was just an early step, but this team is motivated and excited about the season and challenges that lie ahead.
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If one more person tells me to posthumously respect Rob Ford I’m going to lose it. Even if we disregard him lying about smoking crack, he was objectively a bad mayor. He was accused of drinking in his city hall office, verbally and physically abusing his staffers, and frequently missing work. This is a man who said that he felt sympathy for cyclists, but stated that their deaths were “their own fault at the end of the day.” He claimed that he “didn’t understand a transgender … is it a guy dressed up like a girl or a girl dressed up like a guy?” and that Asian people “sleep beside their machines” and “work like dogs” (I believe this was an embarrassing attempt at a compliment). Here was a man who — as mayor of Toronto — skipped the pride parade almost every year of his term, despite the flag raising taking place directly outside his office. This list is by no means exhaustive.
Despite his controversial history, there have been calls to memorialize Ford. A poll demanded a statue of him in Toronto. His casket was displayed for visitation with an honour guard in city hall for the week before his full funeral procession. This is completely unprecedented for a mayor who did not die while in office.
This level of respect for the dead is selective. Media outlets had no problem portraying Michael Brown or Trayvon Martin — Black unarmed teenage boys — as suspect or criminal after they were killed. I’m willing to bet that Fidel Castro or Robert Mugabe will not be gifted with sympathetic eulogies. Who we choose to honour posthumously has nothing to do with reputation or controversy. If it did, Ford would not be viewed as a remotely sympathetic figure. It has little to do with lifetime achievement, as Ford’s state funeral is eclipses other former Torontonian mayors, including others who were significantly more effective at their jobs.
I can’t even begin to fathom how it feels to prematurely lose a parent. However, dying does not absolve you of your sins.
Posthumous respect is dependent on race and power. Would we have cared about Ford’s death if he had been a crack smoking racist office worker? How would we have treated Ford if he was a criminal Black mayor? We seem to only be comfortable respecting the dead when they are powerful White men, regardless of virtue. This begs the question, why do we feel the need to absolve him in the first place? Do we feel sympathy for his family? Do we feel guilt for the ways we treated Ford when we was alive? We have nothing to gain from rehabilitating Toronto’s most infamous mayor, yet we have everything to lose. What does it mean when a city that prides itself on diversity and acceptance gives a full funeral procession to a racist homophobe? Why are we more sympathetic towards him than we are towards the people whose lives he negatively affected?
No one should have to suffer the impact of cancer the way the Ford family has. I can’t even begin to fathom how it feels to prematurely lose a parent. However, dying does not absolve you of your sins. In the age of information it is often easier to cling to uncomplicated narratives: a man is dead and he has left behind a family and a legacy. We feel we ought to mourn. Forgotten are the consequences of his actions. Behind every one of Ford’s ignorant comments was very real prejudice that directly impacted his constituents. His death has not changed this. Even if we can reverse the damage he has done, I will continue to speak ill of the dead.
Photo Credit: Maclean's
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By: Sasha Dhesi
I went back to my hometown a few weeks ago and found myself tickled pink by the presence of a vape memorabilia shop right next to my mother’s favourite health store, something that struck me to be a bit antithetical. In the past few months, it seems that vaping has become ubiquitous: it’s hard to go to any sort of social event without running into a bunch of fuccbois vaping, or go through a convenience store without eyeing the display case full of flavoured e-cigarettes aimed at the younger crowds. And this sudden obsession with a treatment for cigarette smokers by non-smokers is fascinating to anyone who’s on the outside looking in, while coughing.
So what is vaping exactly? It turns out that the general science behind it is pretty simple. A super heated coil called an atomizer heats up a fluid with nicotine and turns it into a vapour that users inhale, making it somewhat analogous to smoking. However, it’s not as harmful as actual cigarettes since it doesn’t produce as heavy of smoke laced with harmful chemicals and users don’t tend to inhale as deeply. It does still contain nicotine, which can damage someone’s cardiovascular health and impair fetal development, but alone it is not a carcinogen.
So what does it mean for the users? Is it a good alternative for those who want to smoke? Is it a “gateway” to smoking? These questions have plagued researchers for a while now.
As someone who grew up in a household full of smokers, trust me when I say that anything, and I mean anything, that could cause someone to start smoking cigarettes is harmful. It’s difficult for young people to fully comprehend the long-term effects of smoking, but as someone who has been in a slew of hospital rooms caused by those little cancer sticks, it’s not worth any rush. At this point though, we all know this and I’m most likely preaching to the choir.
That’s not to say that there aren’t good things about vaping. Vaping is a much less intrusive and safer method of using nicotine compared to its traditional counterpart. The vapour is mostly water, and while it remains somewhat intrusive visually speaking, I would still take wading through some water vapour over inhaling God knows how many carcinogens through second-hand smoke.
But it’s hard to deny the connection between vaping and smoking. Although some researchers have argued that it is not a gateway to smoking, citing the number of smokers who turn to vaping to quit smoking, becoming addicted to nicotine does pose the risk of eventually becoming hooked on cigarettes. It doesn’t help that companies now market towards younger demographics with flavoured, colourful vape sticks next to the candy section in local gas stations. Moreover, it’s not as if nicotine is free of harmful effects, and to market anything to say the contrary is hurting the community. But if people are going to use nicotine anyway, why stop this inoffensive method?
Given how strongly linked vaping is to smoking, there are interesting implications for vaping in public. Currently you can vape anywhere, but due to its physical ressamblance to smoking, many restaurants, offices and the like ban its use. With no legal basis are these policies acceptable?
Ultimately, it’s too early to make a statement on whether or not vaping is fine and we, as a society, just have to wait and see if people en masse drop dead because of this one fad. Vaping is a becoming a part of our mainstream culture, whether we like it or not. While it’s undeniably complicated, I would still urge those who are interested in it to forgo it. With that said, if you’re going to use nicotine, why not use this unobtrusive method? There’s so much back-and-forth on vaping, that it almost feels futile to even try to establish an opinion. Just do you what you want and try not to die.
Photo Credit: ecigclick
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If bacon is bad for you, then I don’t want to live, and if the WHO is right, that won’t be a choice for me. The other day the aptly named organization (as in WHO do you think you are, destroying my world by telling me that the most delicious meat is carcinogenic?) tweeted: “Experts concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal #cancer by 18%.”
The first thing to say is, “What part of my body exactly does colorectal cancer affect? Can I live without it?” The second thing: people forget that there’s an 82 percent chance of not getting cancer (I don’t think that’s how statistics works, but whatever), and a 100 percent chance of having foodgasms for the duration of your life if you consume pig fat.
The fun hating “experts” from the International Agency of Research on Cancer examined over 800 “scientific studies” to determine that bacon belongs in the dreaded “group 1” of noxious substances that negatively affect human health. Other fearsome substances in this group include asbestos, alcohol and cigarettes. I fear that one day, my child will need to use a fake ID to buy bacon with a picture of a dying baby’s lung on the package.
So what’s our alternative? Dulse, a strain of red algae that apparently has a strong bacon flavour. These people are probably the same people who claim chickpea cookie dough tastes like the real thing (it doesn’t). Somewhere in an American grocery store, Ron Swanson is tossing all dulse samples into the garbage. When asked about the bad news for bacon lovers, Ron called it, “total f**king bulls**t.” He emphasized that we should not panic, and instead procure as much bacon as humanly possible and hide it in as many locations you can. Wise words.
Taking a step back, I quickly realized that 50g of bacon is approximately equivalent to six medium slices of bacon. If you’re eating that much bacon everyday, we have bigger problems to deal with. Also, cutting down on bacon consumption to a reasonable amount is not difficult. Instead of using two strips to wrap your scallop, use one. Get your Double Down from KFC without bacon. It’s definitely okay to eat it once you replace the carcinogenic bacon with dulse.
Remember, these “scientists” have been wrong before. Margarine isn’t better for you than butter–and it definitely doesn’t taste the same. Egg yolks, once shunned for its cholesterol content, also turn out to not be bad for you.
Bacon, you’ve been under a lot of heat lately, but know that I will always love you. Everything about you is perfect. Your smell gets me out of bed everyday. The sizzle you makes when you hit a hot pan. The crunch you make when you’re bitten. The grease that coats my mouth and the warmth you spread in my body. Bacon, you make everything better. Never change (but I’d prefer it if you didn’t kill me).
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